The UBC Alumni Builder Awards recognize alumni who have significantly contributed to the university and enriched the lives of others, and in doing so, have supported alumni UBC’s vision of a global alumni community for an exceptional UBC and a better world. We are proud to honour this year’s Alumni Builder Awards recipients whose generous contributions have been recognized by their UBC faculty.
Nick Arkle, BSF’84, and Louise Arkle, BA’82, MA’85
Office of the Principal and Deputy Vice – Chancellor
Nick and Louise Arkle are community leaders and philanthropists whose dedication has strengthened UBC Okanagan and the broader region. As CEO of Gorman Group, Nick has advanced BC’s forestry sector while providing influential leadership across the profession, championing initiatives that strengthen industry and trade. He has supported community growth through the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, United Way, and the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission, while also serving on the inaugural UBC Okanagan Advisory Council. Louise is a dedicated advocate for education and community development, working to expand equity and opportunity, serving in several leadership roles for the Central Okanagan Bursary and Scholarship Society and as a volunteer for the Loran Scholars Foundation.
John Mohammed, BSc(ForSci)’91
Faculty of Forestry
John Mohammed is president of A&A Trading, a BC-based family forestry company. With deep industry roots and experience across logging, timber valuation, and trading, he is a respected leader in the sector. John actively hires UBC graduates and co-leads an annual exercise in negotiation that equips students with essential career skills, an initiative now adopted and being used in other areas of the faculty. John’s dedication to mentorship and education has made a lasting impact on the next generation of forestry professionals. As a board member of the BC Council of Forest Industries, he continues to champion leadership and learning.
A federal task force announced earlier this month will attempt to save Canada’s stricken forest industry from further decline through product and market diversification. While the support will no doubt be welcomed by the industry, in BC the more immediate need is access to timber. Canada’s forestry sector has been pummeled by a one-two punch of low lumber prices, and US duties on softwood lumber. The situation is particularly dire in BC where an integrated industry of lumber, remanufacturing, pulp and pellet mills has been collapsing like a row of dominos. …The industry is in crisis, a number of speakers said at the 
VICTORIA — The president of the Tahltan Central Government, Kerry Carlick, said British Columbia shouldn’t change its Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, just as the First Nation and the provincial government celebrate a landmark agreement based on the legislation. Carlick said it is not a “good idea to take anything away from DRIPA,” adding that “if anything, it should be strengthened.” Carlick was speaking at an event with deputy premier Niki Sharma where they co-signed an agreement to share mineral tax revenue from the Eskay Creek mine. The ceremony came after the provincial government issued an environmental assessment certificate to Eskay Creek Mining Ltd. to restart gold and silver mining after a first-of-its kind collaborative assessment process with the First Nation under DRIPA. The provincial government has said it plans to revise the act after a series of court rulings around Aboriginal title, responding specifically to those decisions.
Make an impact with our Forestry Program Management Consulting Team as a Consultant and program lead. Our diverse team of professionals deliver program administration for a large forestry grant funding organization. As a trusted advisor, you’ll collaborate with the team in the delivery of forestry-related projects within the funding programs. Our team is based in Edmonton and works in our downtown office, this is an in-person, on-site position. The forestry Consultant supports the delivery and administration of forestry funding programs, working with government, industry, Indigenous groups, academics, and other stakeholders. The role involves managing and assessing projects such as silviculture, habitat restoration, wildfire mitigation, and forest health, including tracking activities, reviewing deliverables and expenses, and preparing reports. Responsibilities also include proposal review support, developing Requests for Proposals, limited GIS use, occasional field assessments, and providing advice to senior management and boards, while contributing to the growth of MNP’s forestry consulting practice.
The Municipality of North Cowichan says it is preparing for the possibility of another mill closure in Chemainus, while hoping it can be avoided. Western Forest Products announced Friday it is extending curtailment at the Chemainus sawmill, affecting about 150 workers. Mayor Rob Douglas said the priority is protecting jobs and preparing for potential financial impacts. “We’re going to be looking at impacts on our tax base, especially with the municipality already seeing the effects of the Crofton mill closure this year,” Douglas said. “We’ll prepare for the potential closure of the Chemainus mill in 2027.” Douglas said a permanent closure in Chemainus would affect future finances, but not to the same extent as the Crofton mill shutdown. “Western Forest Products has three sites, and with two of them operating that will continue to provide a significant portion of our industrial tax revenue,” he said.
The curtailment of the Chemainus sawmill will continue through to at least the end of 2026, Western Forest Products announced on Jan. 23. WFP spokesperson Babita Khunkhun said the Chemainus mill, which has been curtailed since June, continues to face persistently weak market demand and ongoing log supply challenges that do not support the economic operation of the mill. She said these conditions are not expected to change in the near term at the mill, which employs approximately 150 workers when in operation. “We are also implementing short-term curtailments at our Saltair and Ladysmith sawmills,” Khunkhun said. …“Where possible, we will work with employees to facilitate employment opportunities at other locations,” she said. …“Beginning in February, the Ladysmith sawmill plans to take a minimum two-week operating curtailment and the Saltair sawmill plans to take a two-week operating curtailment. The curtailments are in response to persistently weak market conditions.
A wood chip facility primarily owned by the ʼNa̱mǥis Nation on north Vancouver Island says it is permanently shutting down as a result of the recent mill closure in Crofton, BC. Atli Resources CEO Jonathan Lok says the Atli Chip LP directly employed nine people, but the closure will affect many more in the small community of Beaver Cove, near Port McNeill. …Lok says a contractor the company hired to bring wood fiber into the facility would be affected as well, along with the 10 to 15 positions it hires. …Lok says the company announced the closure on Jan. 20. He expects the facility to operate until the end of February. Atli Resources is majority owned by the ʼNa̱mǥis Business Development Corporation. Its other two partners include Domtar. Lok says all of the materials from the facility were shipped to the Crofton pulp mill, which Domtar announced in December would permanently close by April.
It appears that some investors have been kicking the tires at the soon to be closed Crofton pulp mill. A statement from the Municipality of North Cowichan said Mayor Rob Douglas and senior staff have recently met with several investors interested in potentially acquiring the Crofton mill site for continued forestry-related operations, or alternative industrial uses. “The municipality is facilitating connections between interested parties, Domtar (the mill’s owner), and the provincial government where appropriate, and remains hopeful that any future use of the site will generate employment opportunities and a stable tax base for the community,” the statement said. …North Cowichan provided no further information on who is interested in taking over the mill site.
Interim opposition leader Trevor Halford told logging contractors Friday that the province’s forestry downturn is being driven by a system that is “not functioning at the pace this sector requires.” Halford, the interim leader of the B.C. Conservatives spoke at the Truck Loggers Association’s convention in Vancouver. “This crisis is not about forests disappearing. It is not about fibre not existing. It is about permits not moving, decisions not being made, and systems that do not function at the pace this sector requires,” Halford said. Halford opened by citing a Vancouver Sun story that described the B.C. forest industry as “on the edge of collapse,” and quoting TLA executive director Peter Lister, who told the convention he had “never seen it as bad” in more than 35 years in the sector. …Halford said the industry has heard “explanations” from the government, but needs measurable results. “Accountability matters. Transparency matters. Results matter,” he said.
We are pleased to announce the upcoming 
It’s pretty bold to make the theme of this year’s BC Natural Resources Forum “momentum for continued growth.” What growth are we continuing? We’ve lost a bunch more mills here in the north and the industry is on the ropes with Donald Trump’s tariffs. If anything the momentum has been in the opposite direction. The momentum is heading towards catastrophic decline. At least with forestry. And we can’t let that happen. We need the pulp mills in Prince George and we need our forest industry. …We need to rethink what we are doing and find a way to do things better — and cheaper. …One direction we can move in is we start thinning the plantations close to town. …Unfortunately, BC Timber Sales is not committed to this idea. …As far as anyone can tell, they believe thinning will reduce the Annual Allowable Cut.
Federal forest managers left vast stretches of beetle-killed pine standing in Jasper National Park, a failure that became a key driver of the catastrophic 2024 wildfire that destroyed roughly a third of the town, according to a Canadian Forest Service report that contradicts cabinet’s climate-change narrative. The analysis says a severe Mountain Pine Beetle infestation peaked about seven years before the fire, leaving behind extensive dead lodgepole pine that dramatically worsened fire behavior. …Blacklock’s Reporter says the Forest Service document, Jasper wildfire complex 2024 fire behaviour documentation, reconstruction and analysis, concludes that dead pine from beetle mortality formed a major part of the fuel load. Tree death altered forest structure, accelerated the drying of surface fuels, and created an abundance of dry, woody material that sharply increased fuel consumption and fire intensity. Internal reports and Access to Information records show Parks Canada was slow for years to remove dead pine through cutting or prescribed burns.
A broad coalition of forestry workers, community leaders and industry representatives has organized a petition asking the public to support their push for the provincial government to take immediate action to address the current challenges faced by an ailing forest industry. The group has launched a new province-wide platform called Forestry Is a Solution to ask British Columbians to show their support for forestry workers and their families. …The campaign has identified as its top priority that the provincial government expedite permits and project approvals to speed up access to economic fibre. It also seeks to improve the competitiveness of BC’s forest industry by reducing administrative barriers and regulatory burdens. The coalition says it’s time to fix BC Timber Sales and its policies to ensure a reliable and competitive supply of logs for mills and secondary manufacturing.
The Arctic Bioenergy Summit and Tour: Sustainable Bioenergy for Northern Communities: Reliable. Affordable. Local. starts today in Yellowknife and runs until January 28. Hosted by the Arctic Energy Alliance and the Wood Pellet Association of Canada, this in-person event replaces the 2026 edition of the Northwest Territories Biomass Week and brings together energy leaders, policymakers, and practitioners from across Canada to explore sustainable bioenergy solutions for northern and remote communities. The Summit begins with a full-day tour of local biomass installations, including bioheat and district heat systems, followed by a two-day conference at Chateau Nova. …For those involved in biomass boiler operations, the Arctic Energy Alliance will also host a two-day NWT Biomass Boiler and Heating Plant Training Session, January 29 and 30, 2026.
The Winter 2025 issue of WorkSafe Magazine is now available, featuring practical guidance and real-world examples to help employers and workers build safer, healthier workplaces. Learn how retailers are preventing common musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs) through smarter layouts, ergonomic tools, and proactive training. Go behind the scenes of WorkSafeBC’s Student Safety Video Contest and discover what makes a safety message resonate. Get expert tips on assessing and supporting crane operators to improve safety, skills. See how early communication and collaborative return-to-work planning help injured workers recover while staying connected to the workplace. And don’t miss the Western Conference on Safety 2025 — Vancouver, April 20 & 21